All Songs Consideredhttp://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/
Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton spin new music from emerging bands and musical iconsenCopyright 2015 NPR - For Personal Use OnlyNPR API RSS Generator 0.94Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:00:00 -0500http://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200All Songs Consideredhttp://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/
New Mix: Björk, Torres, Boots, MoreOn <em>All Songs Considered</em> this week, we share another great batch of tunes, including new work from Beyonce's collaborator Boots and a brand new song from the great Bill Fay.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:00:00 -0500http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2015/03/03/390444572/new-mix-bj-rk-torres-boots-more?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allsongsconsidered
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This week on All Songs Considered, we get heavy — heavy lyrics, heavy themes — as hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton explore the meaning of life, even breaking it down to the atomic level, with existential music from English folk singer Bill Fay, Björk and more.

Bill Fay disappeared from the music scene after releasing a couple of records more than 40 years ago. He returned with the stellar Life Is People in 2012, and is back again with another gorgeous, contemplative collection of songs called Who Is The Sender?

Also on the show: We imagine the apocalypse with Beyoncé and Run The Jewels collaborator Boots, a musician and filmmaker who's turned a handful of his songs into a short movie called Motorcycle Jesus. We find darkness at the end of the tunnel with Andy Stott's twisted remix of Panda Bear's "Boys Latin." And NPR's Stephen Thompson crashes the show to tell us about this year's Austin 100, a downloadable playlist of 100 songs by the artists we're most excited to see at this year's South By Southwest festival. Stephen shares a song by Torres, one of his favorite discoveries from the list. Plus, the Brooklyn-based dystopian funk super group Lá-Bas, Björk's mind-blowing breakup album Vulnicura, and the joyful sounds of husband-wife duo Lowland Hum.

]]>Robin HiltonTV On The Radio, Stromae & Courtney Barnett To Play NPR Music's SXSW ShowcaseOur opening night party in Austin — one of the highlights of our year — will feature a genre-spanning lineup that also includes up-and-comers Shamir and Boogie.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 10:10:00 -0500http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2015/03/03/390246966/tv-on-the-radio-stromae-courtney-barnett-to-play-npr-musics-sxsw-showcase?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allsongsconsidered
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What a night! NPR Music will be at SXSW in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, March 18 to present an amazing night of music. Courtney Barnett will play her entire new album live, the week before it comes out. Stromae, a European star who has racked up about half a billion YouTube views amongst his videos, is about to find a welcoming U.S. audience. All of this and more warms up to TV On The Radio, headlining and performing material from their best record in 8 years.

If you're in Austin for SXSW, the show will take place at Stubb's BBQ. If you're following along from elsewhere, we will be recording the performances — audio and video — and we'll start to post them here, on NPR Music, in the days following the concert. Here's the complete lineup:

• TV On The Radio has been commanding stages for more than a decade, and they'll headline our showcase. This mesmerizing, sturdy, sensitive rock group put out its fifth album, the great Seeds, late last year.

• Though he's new to most American music fans, we're already falling for Belgian singer-songwriter Stromae. His video for "Papaoutai" has more than 230 million YouTube views, and shortly after SXSW he embarks on a U.S. tour that includes Coachella.

• The Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has a way with words that made us take notice a long time ago, and her official debut album, Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit fulfills all that great promise. Lucky us, she'll play the entire album at Stubb's, as part of our First Listen Live series.

• The 20-year-old singer Shamir has staked a claim as one of the most exciting new artists on the pop scene with just a handful of irrepressible, disco- and hip-hop-influenced dance songs and an undeniable presence. Expect a party.

• Boogie, a rapper who hails from the fertile ground of Compton, Calif., has a surprisingly jaundiced eye for someone with so few years in the game, but dispensing with the pleasantries makes for songs that cut deep.

Drum Fill Friday With Steve Jordan

In last week's Drum Fill Friday I included one of my favorite drummers, Steve Jordan. (I won't say which song he was on in case you haven't taken the quiz yet.) I was first introduced to Jordan through his work with The Blues Brothers in the late '70s and early '80s, but his list of album credits is much longer. Over the past 40 years he's worked as a sideman and session artist for everyone from Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys and Kelly Clarkson.

For this week's puzzler, Jordan went entirely with signature drum intros, the moments that kicked off some of his favorite songs. Good luck, careful listeners!

If you have a drummer or a fill you'd like to see featured in these weekly puzzlers, let us know in the comments section or via Twitter @allsongs, #drumfillfriday.

]]>Robin HiltonJimmy Page Reflects On 40 Years Of Led Zeppelin's 'Physical Graffiti' The guitarist shares memories of making Led Zeppelin's monumental double album and talks about some of the artists who have changed his life over the years.Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:54:00 -0500http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2015/02/25/388521663/jimmy-page-reflects-on-40-years-of-led-zeppelins-physical-graffiti?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allsongsconsidered
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Jimmy Page Reflects On 40 Years Of Led Zeppelin's 'Physical Graffiti'

Jimmy Page is remastering and reissuing all of the Led Zeppelin albums, along with previously unreleased recordings.

Ross Halfin/Courtesy of the artist

Forty years ago this week, Led Zeppelin released the band's monumental sixth album, the double LP Physical Graffiti. It was, as guitarist Jimmy Page himself tells us in this interview, "the mother of all double albums," with some of the band's most memorable songs, including "Kashmir," "Houses Of The Holy" and "Custard Pie."

To mark the album's anniversary, Page has remastered Physical Graffiti and reissued it, along with a bonus disc of rough mixes and early versions of the songs that show a band experimenting with sound, new instrumentation and more expansive writing. Physical Graffiti is just the latest album in the Led Zeppelin catalog to get the deluxe treatment. In the coming years, all nine of the band's albums will be remastered and rereleased in chronological order.

Original cover art for Physical Graffiti

Courtesy of the artist

Page has also released a remarkable new autobiography, called, simply, Jimmy Page, that chronicles his storied run with Led Zeppelin in photos.

For this interview with All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton, Page shares his memories of making Physical Graffiti, why he decided to lift the veil on Led Zeppelin's creative process, and some of his favorite stories behind the pictures in his new book. He also talks about some of the artists who have most changed his life, including skiffle legend Lonnie Donegan and guitarist Les Paul.

Edited excerpts from our conversation with Page are below. You can hear the entire interview with the audio link at the top this page.

On Revisiting The Physical Graffiti Recording Sessions

The essence of Physical Graffiti is the fact that we go back to this house, this residential house in the countryside called Headley Grange, where we recorded the fourth album. It's in a residential house and it's the equivalent of the sitting room, the lounge, the main formal room where you'd have your Christmases, in a large house. And there was a fire in there, you could put logs on the fire and it was all really, really nice. And you had a multitrack recording studio so you could actually get to work on this stuff without having to necessarily go into a studio and comply by other peoples' hours. With this you could just wake up in the morning, have your breakfast, get into the music. Have an evening meal. (I can't remember now what we used to have for lunch.) But I really, I just remember the sort of whole work ethic of this, and it was just so productive.

It was always a fascinating prospect going in to record, to be honest with you, because it was always gonna be a sort of summing up of where we were at any given point in time and where we were trying to push ourselves collectively. And in the process of that, because of the quality of these four musicians individually, let alone collectively, we were pushing the boundaries of music and [we were] aware of that. And on this album, I should say the double album Physical Graffiti, the whole thing is just full of character, sort of statements of music and numbers, and some are really, really groundbreaking. You get things which may be very sensitive and caressing. You get other things which are really hard and coming at you.

On The Song "Everybody Makes It Through"

This is really right in the early stages of what is going to be "In The Light." As it continues, you start to hear the framework of the riffs. But this is like the initial run-through working of it. And there are different lyrics to it. It's a really good example of Led Zeppelin at work because this is the embryonic state of what is going to become "In The Light." When you hear this and you realize there's this incredible keyboard part that's gonna go at the beginning, then John Paul Jones plays and then Robert [Plant] comes in with these vocals, which is sort of reminiscent of music from Bulgaria. And I've gotta say, it's been wonderful being able to do these companion discs [with bonus materials] because this is the sort of thing where people just go, "Wow, that's really, really cool," and it just gets them thinking about the whole aspect of what Led Zeppelin was, its music and how hard it worked on the music, too.

Everybody Makes It Through (Early Version of "In The Light")

"In The Light" (Remastered)

On The Nature Of Fate

Ah, well, you know that's ... it's a long subject. Let's put another log on the fire. It has to be sort of considered, the whole aspect of fate, really ... of the fact that these four musicians [came] together later. And it really is. You've got people from two different geographical locations in England, as well. John Paul Jones and I were from the south, and John Bonham and Robert Plant were from the Midlands. And sure, it has to be sort of fate. There has to be an element of it. And it was fast. It was really fast, because I'd been in the Yardbirds prior to this and the Yardbirds were still doing shows in July of 1968. They've already sort of thrown in their cards, they don't want to continue but the last dates that we're doing are in July and I've got [Led Zeppelin] rehearsed with all of the material and we're doing dates in sort of September in Scandinavia. So it's the same year the Yardbirds folded. We've already recorded our album by October. It's the sort of blueprint that all these people in the music business dream of, but the thing was, it was real. Very real.

Led Zeppelin, live in 1968.

Jorgen Angel/Getty Images

On What He Learned As A Choirboy

The whole aspect of harmonies, 'cause it was a full choir. It was a sort of fair choir. There was a fair amount of people in it, sort of maybe 18, 20 people. Yeah, all the sorts of harmonies and all that, I really enjoyed singing in the choir as a kid. I mean, you sang at school but you didn't have this whole ritual of getting into the sort of clothes, you know what I mean? It was ... I don't know, maybe that did have a whole effect on me as far as getting into the stage gear and playing. Who knows? But yeah, the harmonic structure.

On His Stage Outfits

I was very careful about the designs on these things, and I also had a black suit, which was sort of like really, really heavy embroidery. Sort of like a kimono. Have you ever seen like a proper kimono? They're really, really thick. The gold thread embroideries on them and the silk embroideries. It was very much in the character of that sort of thing with the dragon. I certainly did give [the designers] a real directive, but nevertheless they worked on these things. Actually, for the black one, I had the jacket first. And then the trousers were commissioned but it eventually became a suit. And then the white one ... yeah ... I could afford to have it all done in one go by then. [Now] I've got them all very, very safely under lock and key.

On The Artist Who Most Changed His Life

There was this sort of explosion of music that happened for the youth in the '50s. And quite clearly it was rock and roll, but also what we had over in England was this guy Lonnie Donegan. And he spawned the whole skiffle movement and caught people's imagination. And he was superb. He was absolutely superb, but there he was playing like an acoustic guitar and doing these performances. Every Saturday there would be a show on the television where usually he was on, every other week, and it was just something to behold at the time. Just his whole passion and the way that he delivered his material. Now the thing is that he'd been in a jazz band prior to that, Chris Barber's Jazz Band, and Chris Barber was very much somebody who ... he played trombone, Chris Barber, but he was very much into the blues. In fact, he was behind getting Muddy Waters to visit in England in the '50s. Absolutely astonishing stuff, isn't it? And so when Lonnie Donegan was playing the banjo in his sort of traditional jazz band ... I guess when Lonnie Donegan wanted to sort of do these songs, [Barber] was fine with it. Bringing through the sort of blues, American country blues and all of that. So Lonnie Donegan is playing "Rock Island Line." Which at the time, obviously, we thought it was a Lonnie Donegan song, but it sort of goes back more to the sort of roots of Leadbelly. And he really understood all that stuff, Lonnie Donegan. But this is the way he sort of, should we, say jazzed it up or skiffled it up. But it was to the point where so many of the guitarists from the '60s will all say Lonnie Donegan was the influence.

On Developing A Signature Sound

I wanted to have my own approach to what I did. I didn't want to sort of do like a carbon copy of say, B.B. King or whatever. But I really loved the blues. The blues had so much affect on me that I just wanted to do my own contribution in my own way, if you like. So that's how you come up with things like "Since I've Been Loving You" [from Led Zeppelin III].

Jimmy Page performs live with the band in his "dragon" suit, in 1975.

Ian Dickson/Courtesy of the artist

On Playing Led Zeppelin 40 Years Later

It's not just like guys going through the motions; it's just like it was in the days of Led Zeppelin. You're right on the edge of the precipice from beginning to end and that's how you want to live it. That's how I want to live life, and I always have.

Viking's Choice: Bosse-de-Nage, 'A Subtle Change'

Bosse-de-Nage's III was one of 2012's most exhilarating black-metal albums, with movement that lunged from ponderous post-rock to searing screamo mania without inhibition, even if it paradoxically came from an anxious state of mind. The Bay Area band's fourth full-length album (and first that isn't self-titled), All Fours, continues on that path, but somehow sounds darker and more vicious in its attack. Listen to the explosive "A Subtle Change."

After handling the boards for the group's excellent split LP with Deafheaven, Jack Shirley returns to produce — a welcome development for such a dynamic band. "A Subtle Change" feels like Bosse-de-Nage at its most straightforward and focused, as it massages melodic black-metal riffs with jaw-droppingly aerobic drumming on a short fuse. The band flirts with Buzzcocks-y pop-punk at the bridge, but only enough to break the tension before, as the unidentified vocalist howls, "the catalyst which starts one racing inexorably down the road with the darkest conclusion."

It may be freezing on the east coast, but on All Songs Considered this week, we've got the hottest tracks to keep you out of the cold.

At the top, North Dakota songwriter Tom Brosseau tells a heartbreaking story about a boy abandoned by his mother. Patrick Watson returns with a vast and beautiful sound that explores the distinction between humanity and technology.

In between that pair of longtime All Songs favorites, Lord Huron rides in with an upbeat new track, Soley goes dark, Portland's Summer Cannibals turns up the heat and we get a harder and louder sound from the Toronto based noise rock trio METZ.

But first, a track from Robin's past that will take you to Ram Jam heaven, much to Bob's chagrin.

]]>Bob Boilen10 Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Also LovedWith so many incredible submissions, it was nearly impossible to pick one winner. From a wild Balkan dance party to a heroic attempt to play in subzero temperatures, here are ten more videos we loved.Mon, 23 Feb 2015 12:20:00 -0500http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2015/02/23/385467504/10-tiny-desk-contest-entries-we-also-loved?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allsongsconsidered
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10 Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Also Loved

DeQn Sue was one of the many, many Tiny Desk contestants who won our team over.

YouTube

More than ever, we are a creative culture. A simple shout out to participate in our Tiny Desk Concert Contest deluged us with almost 7,000 video entries. And the quality of those entries — not simply the technical quality but the quality of idea and imagination — was boundless. We asked you to film one video behind a desk of your choosing. You put those desks on mountain tops, in oceans, in classrooms, in elevators ... the list is long. We may have had one "winner" for our first Tiny Desk Concert Contest — Oakland blues-rock musician Fantastic Negrito — but in truth we had many. The reward of doing this can be seen on the faces of musicians and in the music being made.

Here, then, are just a few highlights of the many entries that grabbed our team's attention, presented by NPR Music's Rachel Horn. She helped curate our Tiny Desk Tumblr, where we shared some favorite videos throughout the contest. Check them out for yourself. There's an incredible wealth of talent out there waiting to be discovered.

Drum Fill Friday, For Feb. 20

I don't know what it's like where you live, but here in D.C. (as well as the rest of the eastern seaboard in general) we've had enough of winter. It's been downright arctic with subzero temperatures, record snowfall and no apparent end in sight. All of which is to say that this week's Drum Fill Friday comes to you from the confines of my super secret Robin Cave, where I've holed up with my stuffed animals and an iPod to play sweet drum fill jams and drown out the howling winter winds. Stay warm, and good luck, careful listeners.

If you have a drummer or a fill you'd like to see featured in these weekly puzzlers, let us know in the comments section or via Twitter @allsongs, #drumfillfriday.

]]>Robin HiltonAll Songs At 15: Have A Good Cry On UsOn this week's Throwback Thursday we remember the many stories listeners have shared about the songs that make them cry.Thu, 19 Feb 2015 13:41:00 -0500http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2015/02/19/387495434/all-songs-at-15-have-a-good-cry-on-us?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allsongsconsidered
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All Songs At 15: Have A Good Cry On Us

Every Thursday this year we're celebrating All Songs Considered's 15th birthday with personal memories and highlights from the show's decade and a half online and on the air. If you have a story about the show you'd like to share, drop us an email: allsongs@npr.org.

We love our listeners. Over the past 15 years so many of you have shared personal stories about the songs, albums and artists that mean the most in your life. Sometimes the music is uplifting, sometimes frenetic and pulsing with life, and sometimes it's just a good companion with a virtual shoulder to cry on.

Back in the summer of 2011, we asked our listeners to tell us about their favorite tearjerkers. These are the songs guaranteed to turn on the waterworks every time they come up, not because they're inherently sad but because of the associations we've made with them.

We got thousands of song suggestions and stories from our listeners, including this one from a woman named Sarah: "My son was born in 2005 at 28 weeks. He was tiny, and a fighter, and every day for six weeks, I would go to visit him at the hospital. On the way to and back from the hospital, my husband and I would listen to Coldplay's 'Fix You.' It had a profound and lasting effect on our little family, and now my son loves what he refers to as 'his song.'"

Then there was this one from Cindi: "In 1991, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and when I got the phone call at work, I got in my car to go see my husband and 'Don't Worry, Baby' by The Beach Boys came on the radio. Of course I was bawling my eyes out, but somehow the song made me feel like it was a message. My mom survived for four more years. I will always feel like it's a message from her when I hear it. And what's weird is, when I hear it on the radio or in a store, it's always from the very beginning. And it really grabs my attention. I no longer cry. I feel comforted by it."

And this one, from Sam: "I just recently graduated high school, and when driving home after graduation, [LCD Soundsystem's 'All My Friends'] came on shuffle and I had to pull over. I realized that it was all over. I would never see half the people I know ever again, and after the summer, my closest friends — the only people who have meant anything to me for the past 18 years — and I will never be as close because we are all going into different worlds at different universities. In that moment, while driving home, I felt it all: the good times of the past, the pains of moving on, and the fight to have the courage to be hopeful and optimistic for the future."

Maybe it's time for us to do another installment in this unofficial series. Please share your own favorite tearjerkers in the comments section.

Viking's Choice: Never Young, 'Ur A Front'

There was a time in '90s hardcore when slam-dancing riffs gave way to melody and tempos that swayed like a ship at sea, confusing pit rituals in the process. Quicksand's Manic Compression and Jawbox's For Your Own Special Sweetheart are just a couple examples of this evolution, and it's somewhere in that sound that we find the Bay Area band Never Young.

The angular guitar bends of "Ur A Front" squeal over moaned vocals, leading to a discordant bridge (a la Sonic Youth) that simmers in Technicolor feedback. It's a moody piece of noise that doesn't boil over until the last seconds of a chest-clearing scream.

This week on All Songs Considered we reflect on age and time, how we make sense of the world as we all grow older, and how it all ties in to the artist who opens this week's show: Sufjan Stevens. Stevens has been busy with numerous projects since releasing his insane masterpiece, The Age Of Adz, in 2010. But he's back with his first official studio album since then, the lovely and intimate Carrie & Lowell. We've got the first single from the album, "No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross."

Also on the program: JEFF The Brotherhood teams up with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson for some red blooded rock and roll, The Alabama Shakes get amped up and explore new sonic territory and we premiere a new electrified cut from Waxahatchee. Plus: the shape-shifting and utterly infectious sounds of Happyness and British poet/rapper Kate Tempest.

But first, Robin sneaks in a song from what he calls the gold standard of American musicals, The Sound of Music. The film version of the musical is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a remastered edition of the soundtrack.

]]>Robin HiltonViking's Choice: Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth, 'Unnamed'The larger-than-life TAD frontman returns with one of the most satisfying and heaviest doom metal records in years. Prepare to be trampled by "Unnamed."Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:28:00 -0500http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2015/02/16/385746288/vikings-choice-brothers-of-the-sonic-cloth-unnamed?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allsongsconsidered
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Viking's Choice: Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth, 'Unnamed'

In the land grab that was the early '90s Seattle grunge scene, TAD was the hard rock band caught up in the groundswell. And how could you miss them? Bummer melodies cloaked in giant riffs, a juvenile sense of humor (see: God's Balls, 8-Way Santa) and the larger-than-life frontman Tad Doyle. More than most of their peers, the band made records that hold up even if major labels dropped them left and right. Six years in the making, Doyle returns triumphant with Brothers of the Sonic Cloth and one of the most satisfying and heaviest doom metal records in years. Prepare to be trampled by "Unnamed."

Doyle's ears must have absorbed the past decade of heavy where the quiet-to-ear-splitting-loud dynamic dominated, but like his Pacific Northwest brothers in YOB, there is purpose in its movement. After a minute and a half of moody guitar delay, the distorted downbeat aided by bassist Peggy Doyle is an air cannon to the chest. Do whatever you need to clear the space, but turn the volume as high as it can go — you deserve it. The robotic crunch comes out of Godflesh's Streetcleaner, diced up like carrots with a Japanese knife by drummer Dave French (The Anunnaki) and briefly spun out of orbit by Doyle's rubbery Jeff Hanneman-like flourishes. Doyle also flexes some serious vocal prowess, howling like a grizzly bear throughout and chanting through panned guitars in the final minutes. In eight minutes, "Unnamed" is a hulking monster that maybe just wants a hug ... at least until Doyle lets out one last 20-second, searing croak.

]]>Lars GotrichThe Good Listener: Is It OK To Attend A Concert On A First Date?Thoughts on the collision of concert etiquette and first-date etiquette.Sat, 14 Feb 2015 08:03:16 -0500http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2015/02/14/386130750/the-good-listener-is-it-ok-to-attend-a-concert-on-a-first-date?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allsongsconsidered
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The Good Listener: Is It OK To Attend A Concert On A First Date?

We get a lot of mail at NPR Music, and alongside the boxes of chocolate we bought ourselves to eat alone in the dark on Valentine's Day is a slew of smart questions about how music fits into our lives — and, this week, thoughts on the collision of concert etiquette and first-date etiquette.

Emily writes via email: "I have high hopes for two upcoming events: a concert by a band I like and a date with a boy I like. The only problem is that I don't know how many tickets to buy, because I haven't asked him. I'm pretty confident he'll say yes, so that's not the advice I'm asking for. What I'm wondering is, is going to a concert a good or bad way to do a first date? On one hand, it seems like a natural setting for that sort of thing — available drinks, music for dancing, distractions in case the conversation is boring and all that. But it's not like we can/should talk during the show, and I can see the potential for awkwardness. Or am I just being neurotic?"

Jeez, people. The guy with the acoustic guitar is trying to perform right behind you. Get a room, would you?

iStockphoto.com

Neurotic or not, you've identified a reasonable list of pros and cons. The availability of distractions is, as you suggest, a double-edged sword: It's inconsiderate (and not always easy) to have a getting-to-know-you chat while a band blares away nearby, but you're also alleviating some of the pressure to have what could turn out to be a nervous, stilted conversation. Unlike, say, going to the movies, concerts generally provide manageable built-in breaks between sets, so you can enjoy the live music without forgoing conversation entirely. And if there's so much chemistry that you decide you prefer talking to hearing a performance, your grandkids will surely forgive you for walking out of a perfectly good show as an alternative to bothering the folks nearby.

I'd argue that the other major disadvantage you name — the potential for awkwardness — is a feature, not a bug. The primary purpose of dating is to winnow out potential partners you do or will find undesirable; to determine not only what you're looking for, but also the precise location of your unique deal-breakers. The potential for awkwardness is there on any and every first date, but concerts offer a unique and helpful set of opportunities to suss out major trouble spots. Is your date the sort of guy who rudely shouts over opening acts or otherwise shows disregard for the people around him? Does he talk to you about music in a way you find condescending or belittling?

Concerts actually provide a useful little ecosystem for the way people treat other people: how much regard they show for others' personal space, how they treat bouncers and bartenders, what kind of company they keep when they're not the center of attention. Sometimes, the best thing you can get out of a first date is the information you need in order to avoid a second. So buy those tickets and ask away! Good luck.

Got a music-related question you want answered? Leave it in the comments, drop us an email at allsongs@npr.org or tweet @allsongs.

Drum Fill Friday, With Cursive's Cully Symington

Cully Symington drums for the band Cursive, but has also performed and recorded with The Afghan Whigs, Okkervil River, Shearwater and Bishop Allen

Danin Drahos

This week's Drum Fill Friday was put together by drummer Cully Symington. He's currently with the band Cursive, though he's also played with The Afghan Whigs, Bishop Allen, Okkervil River and Shearwater. Cursive is currently on tour for their deluxe reissue of The Ugly Organ, originally released in 2003.

Some of Symington's picks will be familiar to fans of classic rock (and the legendary drummers behind the fills). But he's also thrown in a little jazz, folk and pop to mix it up. Good luck, careful listeners!

As always, if you have a drummer or a fill you'd like to see featured in these weekly puzzlers, let us know in the comments section or via Twitter @allsongs, #drumfillfriday.

All Songs At 15: Our First Ever Tiny Desk Concert

Every Thursday this year we're celebrating All Songs Considered's 15th birthday with personal memories and highlights from the show's decade and a half online and on the air. If you have a personal memory about the show you'd like to share, drop us an email: allsongs@npr.org.

Now that we've announced the winner of our Tiny Desk Concert contest (who will soon get to play at Bob Boilen's desk), we thought we'd use this week's Throwback Thursday to remember the very first Tiny Desk Concert we ever did. The year was 2008 and the inaugural artist was Laura Gibson:

We had no idea what we were doing. You'll notice the shelves behind Laura are nearly bare. We'd just had those put in to hold all the CDs we get. You'll also notice the video quality is pretty raw. NPR Music didn't even have a video team back then or fancy lighting. Bob set up the cameras himself. In fact, NPR Music itself had only been around for about five months.

After seven years and an extended game of telephone, the story of how the whole Tiny Desk series has been told many ways. But the truth is very simple: NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Bob tried to see Laura Gibson at a bar in Austin during South By Southwest. But it was crowded and noisy and they had an impossible time hearing her. So after the show, Stephen joked to Laura that she should just come play at their desks. (A lot of our best ideas start as jokes). But Laura is a good sport and said she was totally up for it, all joking aside. Three weeks later she showed up at NPR. (Remember me talking about the importance of saying "yes"? If Laura had said "no" there probably wouldn't be a Tiny Desk Concert series).

Though no one here can remember who, exactly, came up with the name (pretty sure I came up with the name), it's a take on the band Bob was in in the late '70s called Tiny Desk Unit.

We weren't sure whether Laura's appearance would turn into a series. In fact, a couple of months passed after her performance before we brought in our second artist, the late Vic Chesnutt. But here we are, seven years and hundreds of Tiny Desk performances later and going strong.

We have no idea how long this series will last, but watching our favorite musicians give unadorned, honest and intimate live concerts could never grow old.